Jackson Hewitt provides a comprehensive selection of filing alternatives in addition to cost-free advances on the anticipated tax refund amount. You can upload your documents and then hand over the responsibility of filing your taxes to a tax professional; however, you will be expected to pay for the privilege of doing so.
This well-established company is recognized as one of the leading providers of tax software on the market thanks in large part to the improvements that Jackson Hewitt has made on tax returns, as well as the extensive variety of filing options it makes available to its customers. Jackson Hewitt has been operational since the 1980s. About half of the nearly 6,000 company-owned franchises are now housed inside Walmart supermarkets. With this many locations, the firm is now considered a prominent participant in the tax preparation market. Visit any of these offices if you need to speak with an expert or drop off your paperwork.
A third option is to file your taxes online, either by yourself or by uploading your papers from the convenience of your own home and letting Jackson Hewitt’s tax professionals do the rest. The program couldn’t be easier to use for simpler returns, and it comes with direct access to online support at any time. Help may also be found at the company’s headquarters and certain Walmart shops.
Plan Options
- Online: $25 Fed only; $49 Fed & unlimited State returns
- Standard: $69
- Deluxe edition: $179
- Premier edition: $249
What is the cost of Jackson Hewitt tax service?
For individuals who are certain they can handle their tax preparation, Jackson Hewitt provides an online service. It costs $25 if you wish to submit a return with the federal government, but for an additional $49, you can file an unlimited number of returns with the state government. This is probably not something you would consider doing with Jackson Hewitt, given that many other top-rated tax software companies provide free filing for a comparable Federal filing service, including TurboTax, our top option overall.
Tax Pro from Home offers three different packages if you would rather have your taxes prepared “done for you” rather than “do it yourself.” A specialized tax professional will locate every credit and deduction that applies to you when you submit your tax paperwork here.
The Standard version costs $69 for federal returns and is geared toward those with the least complex filing needs. These individuals include students and renters. In this scenario, you will get an infinite number of W-2 forms, you are permitted to be jobless, you may have education credits and/or student loan interest（Discover Student Loan is for you）, and you may also receive income from pensions, IRAs, and Social Security. Additionally, it is appropriate for those with an interest or dividend income of up to $1,500.
The Deluxe model is the next higher level and comes for $179. This edition is targeted at families and homeowners. This plan gives everything that the Standard plan does, but it also contains the facilities to deal with itemized deductions and profits and losses from investments. Last but not least, there is the Premier edition, which can be purchased for $249 and contains all of the aforementioned choices for self-employed people and those with complicated filing requirements.
These costs include a federal return, unrestricted access to a tax pro and the client care support staff, and the assurance that all of Jackson Hewitt’s promises will be applied to your return. You will be charged an additional fee for each state return that you are required to file, and there are choices available elsewhere that are more cost-effective, most notably at TaxSlayer. However, the price you pay is not too far off from the averages found in the business. If you want to avoid the stress of doing your taxes and don’t want to leave your house, the cost of hiring a tax expert to do the hard work for you might be worth it.
Features
- Advances on refunds at no additional cost
- Refund assurance, in addition to $100, is greater at other places
Jackson Hewitt is the best choice to get an advance on your tax refund. With the company’s Early Refund Advance program, customers may get up to $700, and with the No Fee Refund Advance program, customers can receive up to $4,000 in the form of a loan from MetaBank with a 0% APR (APR).
However, the window for such enhancements in the 2021 tax year has closed. The outcome is that other factors are already being given greater consideration.
A return guarantee is included, as is a money-back promise of up to $100 if you discover another tax preparer who can secure a bigger refund. Also included is a promise that no other tax preparer may increase your refund above what the IRS gives you. Jackson Hewitt additionally guarantees to pay any interest or fines assessed by the IRS due to the company’s error. However, the Worry-free Guarantee is available for an additional fee, protecting you against diminished refunds or further penalties should the organization be at fault.
Usability
- Slightly more difficult than the products of comparable companies
- Can have instant access to the pertinent subjects
- The Better Business Bureau has given us an A+ rating
In each of its iterations, Jackson Hewitt maintains a user interface consistent with itself to a large extent. While it’s still rather easy to understand and use, the interface doesn’t quite measure up to the streamlined and uncluttered interfaces many of its direct rivals have. However, it does provide consumers with other alternatives for completing the procedure. Users with more tax preparation experience may choose which menu options to explore. In comparison, those with less experience or confidence can go through the tax return preparation wizard step by step. Users are given many alternatives as they go through the software’s workflow.
The program seems to pose additional questions to users, even in areas that are rather easy to navigate. If the return isn’t completed in a single sitting, signing back in for a subsequent session will not take you to a place you had saved. Users are obliged to navigate through the system from the beginning, which is not very difficult but is also not particularly handy.
Users are prompted to save their work, which is a nice feature; nevertheless, autosave capabilities are unavailable. Even while the user experience isn’t nearly as engaging as H&R Block’s, it’s still rather simple and straightforward to use. Since 2018, Jackson Hewitt has maintained accreditation with the Better Business Bureau and has the highest possible A+ rating.
Products That Are Available From Jackson Hewitt
Jackson Hewitt Online
When it comes to filing taxes online on your own, Jackson Hewitt now only provides one option: Jackson Hewitt Online. The company previously provided three different versions of tax software at differing costs. In contrast to the vast majority of other online tax solutions and download tax software, Jackson Hewitt Online caters to all types of tax filers and all possible tax scenarios in a single offering. The total cost of submitting federal and state taxes together is $49, but just federal taxes only costs $25. The program itself is not especially impressive, and reviews state that it may be difficult to understand and not particularly simple. However, it does handle all tax forms, which is something that very few other applications provide in a single package, and its navigation style may not be a problem for those who are used to filing taxes in the United States.
File With a Tax Pro
The enormous network of Jackson Hewitt offices, the majority franchised or independently owned and operated, and those housed inside Walmart stores, is perhaps the company’s most well-known feature. The corporation has increased the number of tax professionals it can work with due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
On Paper
You may still walk into a brick-and-mortar location of Jackson Hewitt with your tax papers and meet with a tax expert in person to get your taxes prepared. Jackson Hewitt also provides online tax preparation services. If you want to go with this alternative, get approval from the office first since many companies have health and safety regulations in place. You may also leave your papers at an office location, and a tax professional will handle the rest of the process when they have received them.
Online
The previous year, Jackson Hewitt introduced Tax Pro from Home, a system that allows you to file your taxes remotely with the assistance of a tax expert. There is also a mobile app version of Tax Pro from Home that you may download.
H&R Block vs Jackson Hewitt
Both H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt provide professional tax preparation software and the opportunity to file taxes in person with the assistance of a tax professional. On the other hand, there are several significant distinctions between the two. Comparatively, H&R Block provides free online tax filing, while Jackson Hewitt’s starting price for filing both federal and state taxes is $25. If the free version of HR&Block’s tax software does not meet your needs, the company’s paid tax software comes in three distinct tiers with prices ranging from $49.99 to $109.99.
If you do your taxes online via Jackson Hewitt and run into trouble, you can upgrade to filing with a professional instead. Starting at $69.99, H&R Block provides a comparable service. Jackson Hewitt does not provide pricing information for its services on its website. If you want more assistance, both businesses have thousands of offices nationwide. You can upload documents digitally or physically and drop them off at their location for processing when you come in person or utilize their drop-off services.
H&R Block can accommodate your preferences for up-front pricing, an abundance of online filing alternatives, and the usage of a mobile app to finish your tax preparation if you so want. Jackson Hewitt is a wonderful alternative; however, if you think you may desire an advance on your tax return or you would need someone to help you through filing.
TaxSlayer vs Jackson Hewitt Tax
Another option for submitting taxes online is the TaxSlayer program. There are four different programs available, ranging from free to self-employed. The corporation believes that the $17.95 Classic edition, which can cover most tax filing requirements, is the greatest value. When you file your tax return, you can access live chat help if you have the Premium plan, which costs $37.95 per month. On the other hand, Jackson Hewitt offers the possibility of filing taxes either online or in person.
Although there is no free option like what you’ll find with TaxSlayer, you may pay $25 to submit your taxes online and have them processed for both the federal and state levels. If you have a complicated tax filing scenario, you shouldn’t use either TaxSlayer or Jackson Hewitt as your software provider. Both of these choices are optimal for simplifying one’s tax filing. Jackson Hewitt is the best option if you are unsure about doing your taxes online or believe you may want further assistance. You may leave your tax paperwork with a qualified tax expert for completion with its drop-off-and-go service.
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service: Should You Use?
Jackson Hewitt provides a comprehensive selection of tax preparation items at costs that are neither the lowest nor the highest available on the market. Its software is simple and easy to use, and if you pay for one of the Tax Pro from Home plans, all you have to do is upload your papers, and the professionals will handle the rest of the job for you.
The ability to take out an interest-free tax return advance is another feature that makes Jackson Hewitt stand out. Even though the time for this has already passed for this year, the firm still provides a product with good value in addition to strong functionality and usability, which will appeal to most customers preparing tax returns. This product is available for purchase.
